Vocal Mastery eBook

“The management of the breath is a most important
factor, as the life of the tone depends on the continuance
of the breath. The student must cultivate the
power of quickly inhaling a full breath and of exhaling
it so gradually that she can sing a phrase lasting
from ten to twenty seconds. This needs months
of arduous practice. In all breathing, inhale
through the nose. The lower jaw during singing
should be entirely relaxed.

“The tone should be focused just back of the
upper front teeth. The way to place the tone
forward is to think it forward. The student
must think the tone into place.

“To ‘attack’ a tone is to sing it
at once, without any scooping, and with free open
throat. When the throat is tightened the student
loses power to attack her tones in the right way.

PHRASING

“Phrasing, in a limited sense, is simply musical
punctuation. In its broader sense it is almost
synonymous with interpretation. For it has to
do not only with musical punctuation but with the grouping
of tones and words in such a way that the composition
is rendered intelligible as a whole, so as to express
the ideas of the composer. This is where the
intellectual and musical qualities of the singer are
brought into requisition. She must grasp the
content, whether it be song or aria, in order to effect
this grouping intelligently. Accent, crescendo
and diminuendo are the most important factors
in phrasing. From the very beginning the student
should be careful how and where she takes breath and
gives accent; there must always be a reason, and thought
will generally make the reason clear.

TONE PRODUCTION

“The first thing to be considered is the position
of the body; for beauty of tone cannot be obtained
unless all efforts harmonize to produce the desired
result. An easy, graceful, buoyant position is
essential; it can be cultivated in front of a mirror,
from the first lesson.

“Tone production is the result of thought.
Picture to yourself a beautiful tone; sing it on the
vowel Ah. If you stood in rapture before an entrancing
scene you would exclaim, Ah, how beautiful. Producing
a beautiful tone rests on certain conditions.
First, breath control; Second, Freedom of throat;
Third, Correct focus of tone.

“We know that a stiff jaw and tongue are the
greatest hindrances to the emission of good tone.
Muscles of chin and tongue must be trained to become
relaxed and flexible. Do not stiffen the jaw or
protrude the chin, else your appearance will be painful
and your tones faulty.

“To think the tone forward is quite as important
as to sing it forward. Without the mental impression
of correct placing, the reality cannot exist.
It is much better to think the tone forward for five
minutes and sing one minute, than to practice the
reverse. One should practice in fifteen-minute
periods and rest at least ten minutes between.
The student should never sing more than two hours
a day—­one in the morning and one in the
afternoon. As most singers love their work, many
are inclined to overdo.